As you walk the path of least resistance
Is it as simple as you claim it to be?
Your tongue, your eyes
Your lies, they do deceive you

I stand firm in my solidarity
The path I walk, I walk it with my own resolve
When darkness falls we are reborn
Our dream since the fall of man
We are reborn

My beliefs are not antiquated
We are the hope
Silence them all with not just words
Let resolution be our voice

I stand firm in my solidarity
The path I walk, I walk it with my own resolve
When darkness falls we are reborn
Our dream since the fall of man
We are reborn

We are the remnant
We the remnant will silence them all
We are the faithful
We the faithful will silence them all

When darkness falls we are reborn
Our dream since the fall of man
We are reborn

Killswitch Engage—'WhenDarknessFalls'

Cammy would have joined Cranky in the shower except for the fact that she needed to think. He seemed to have the ability to make thinking rationally in his presence an impossibility. At least that is what she perceived after spending the morning and much of the afternoon with him. Cammy was insatiable around him and that's what she had to think about. This had never happened before. After being with all the other men before Cranky, there had been shame, or in the least embarrassment. And the men before them, well those relationships cannot be considered functional in any sense of the word. But now, she felt different, Cranky felt different to her. After her latest dream she knew something was different. Never in one of these dreams had she gotten the better of Vega, or even have the strength to try. None of this made sense. She'd known cranky for all of Twenty-four hours, and for much of that she'd been throwing up or asleep. Maybe that was just it. He'd taken care of her and that was something, no matter how hard it was for her to admit, that she needed. Or maybe she was over thinking all of this. Her deep thoughts were broken by a knocking at the door. Cammy yelled out.

"I'm coming!"

Cammy started to get up from the bed to find her clothes when the door was banged on this time and a voice came through it.

"Open the fuck up Crankurt! We know you're in there!"

Cammy yelled, starting to get scared.

"I'm not dress—"

But it fell on deaf ears. Before she finished the door burst open. Cammy barely had time to cover herself with the bed sheet before there were two men at the foot of her bed with guns pointed at her. There was a long moment where the two men and she traded confused looks. Then one of them broke into a smile as the other spoke in a gaudy British accent.

"Eh Joey, seems 'ole Craig got him a pretty 'lil bird here."

Cammy grabbed for the phone. She didn't know why. She just knew that she wanted to be on the phone with someone she knew when the shit hit the fan. Joey clicked the safety off of his gun and spoke.

"Don't."

The other man strode to the phone and ripped the jack from the wall. Cammy still sat there, playing the innocent lover, giving her face an innocent look. She didn't have any idea what the hell was going on, but she knew it wasn't good, for her or cranky. So she sat there looking as neutral as she could manage; looking as harmless as she could manage. With her long hair tousled from sex and sleep, wearing nothing but a sheet, it wasn't too hard to look harmless.

The bathroom door opened and Cranky just stood there in nothing but a towel. The men yelled and guns pointed at him. He froze in the doorway with steam curling around him, spilling out into the room like clouds. Cranky laced his fingers on the top of his head and took it all pretty calmly. He let the man lead him to the ground, stomach on the floor, gun to his back. Hand cuffs went on. Cranky was amazingly pulled to his knees by his short hair. The towel stayed on. Tough towel. Joey spoke.

"What'd we tell him Chuck?"

Chuck answered.

"We told him to get out of town or else."

Cranky spoke now.

"You gave me until sundown today. What's the rush?"

Chuck looked out the window.

"You going to be gone in ten minutes?"

Cammy opened her mouth to lie, but Cranky spoke first.

"No."

Joey grabbed Cammy by the arm and pulled her towards Cranky. She tripped on the sheet and he dragged her the last few feet. She put most of her effort into clutching the sheet to her chest. Bruises were okay; being naked in front of these men was definitely not okay. Joey half-threw, half-dropped Cammy to the floor beside Cranky. Cranky tried to get to his feet but Chuck hit him in the shoulder with the butt of his gun. Cammy touched Cranky's shoulder as she spoke.

"It's okay Cranky."

Joey just stared down at Cammy as he spoke.

"Leave town now Mr. Crankurt. Leave town tonight."

Cranky started to open his mouth and Cammy squeezed his arm. He'd probably say something stupid like he had a moment ago. Cammy's instincts were kicking in as she spoke.

"He'll leave. You've made your point."

Joey shook his head.

"I think you're lying, bird. I think Crankurt here is planning to stay. I think you'd say anything to get us out of this room right now.

Cranky didn't say anything. Dammit, just lie! Cammy screamed silently. Chuck spoke.

"Hey Joey, we never patted our little bird down for weapons."

Joey smiled, a big, good humored smile.

"No, Chuck. We didn't."

Joey grabbed two handfuls of sheet and dragged Cammy to her feet. He jerked hard enough that she stumbled into him. He locked on arm behind her, holding her against him. Cammy felt more than heard Cranky behind her. She looked back and Chuck had Cranky in a headlock. Joey played with Cranky.

"Don't struggle yet, lover. You haven't seen anything to get excited about yet."

Cammy didn't like the sound of that. Joey grabbed the sheet and tried to tear it out of her hands. She fought him. He stepped back from her, holding the sheet, and yanked. It was hard enough that she stumbled, but kept the sheet. Chuck yelled.

"Stop playing Joey and just do it!"

Joey slid his fingers down the front of the sheet and gave it all he had. It pulled Cammy to her knees in an ungraceful heap but she won. She kept the sheet. It was pissing them off. He grunted in frustration and grabbed her by the back of her head, using her hair to throw her against the bed. She could have pulled away if she wanted to leave a handful of blood and hair in his hands. He held her by the head, putting enough weight on her that it almost hurt. The sheet was pulled down from her back to her waist. Joey jerked it down further, exposing her butt. Cammy started really struggling then. Alarms of all kinds were going off in her head and she was a frightened seventeen year old again. This couldn't be happening. She felt her tough, calm exterior melting away as Joey pulled her arms out from under her chest and spread them to either side of the bed.

When Joey touched her bare back, Cammy made an audible whimper and mentally kicked herself for it. That's what they wanted and she was giving it to them. Chuck spoke as Joey ran his hand lower on Cammy's body.

"This can all stop Crankurt. This can all be over, just leave."

As his hands touched her butt and he went for more intimate places, Cammy couldn't take it. The wrath of an ex-Shadowlaw assassin was about to be had on these men. Using all of her strength she pushed up from the submissive position on the bed, knocking Joey roughly to the ground. Quicker than he could see, Cammy had the sheet back around her and secure and Joey's gun was in her hand. Chuck pushed harder on Cranky as Joey stood and moved behind Chuck and Cranky. He mumbled.

"Stupid bitch."

Cammy felt a million times better and now all she had to deal with was Chuck's gun, now nestled in Joey's hands. She spoke calmly, as if talking down a suicidal person.

"He's leaving town because I'm leaving town with him. Just let us get dressed and we're gone."

Chuck answered.

"You're a cold bitch."

"No, I'm smart. Why would we try and go against you. I'm just protecting myself. I'd be stupid to stay."

"So we're clear bird? You leave town tonight, with him."

"Crystal."

Chuck let go of Cranky, dropping him to the floor. He traded Cammy the hand cuff keys for Cranky's gun and they were gone. As soon as the door shut Cammy fell to the floor, seconds away from hyper ventilating. What could have just happened was bad. Real bad. Cranky's voice semi-brought her back.

"Cammy, I need you to un-cuff me."

Her hands were shaking as she did. As soon as the cuffs were off, Cranky pulled Cammy into his arms.

"You did so good. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I would have done if they hurt you. You're not hurt are you? It's all my fault. Oh my God, please tell me you're okay."

Cammy pulled back from Cranky and spoke shakily.

"What the hell are you into?"